Tablet Plus

The May Fair

17.5

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(approx. $308)
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In London, the hotel world’s majorest of major leagues, even the big chains know which way the wind is blowing — away from that fusty manor-house look, and toward something altogether more clean-lined and contemporary. Nobody’s about to mistake the old May Fair for the Sanderson, but after a top-to-bottom £70m renovation, it’s looking shockingly up-to-date.

It’s plain they’ve learned some lessons from the new breed of design hotels: the May Fair Bar is stylish and modern, packing in a hip West End crowd. Quince, a modern European restaurant with Moroccan influences, forgoes the usual formality of five-star dining for a more casual shared-plate approach, while the Cigar Room, encased in stainless steel mesh that allows the space to breathe, offers a nicely curated selection of rare and fine hand-rolled cigars. Upstairs, the bedrooms are still oversized and as luxurious as they come, and now they’re utterly modern too, slightly minimalist in muted earth tones. And of course they’re packed with all the modern must-haves, from forty-inch Samsung Smart TVs to high-end bath products.

A 201-seat private screening room is a rarity, to be sure, but the May Fair’s spa is its crown jewel. It’s vaguely Asian in design (as are all spas these days) and completely over-the-top — the best place for a mud bath after a long day of splashing cash all over the West End. Or all over the hotel — the May Fair’s own Palm Beach Casino is among the biggest in town, and its atmosphere of old-world glamour is an inducement to high-stakes playing.

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176 Guest Reviews

All reviews are from Tablet guests with verified stays.

DEREK

Stayed September 2008

Rating: Fair

What I liked:

Plenty of space, beautiful decor, great location

What the hotel could do better:

Noise throughout the night from another guestroom, disturbing our sleep. Power outage in our room during our stay. It was less than what we had hoped for and certainly not what we expected of a hotel of this calibre.

Eric

Stayed January 2009

Rating: Excellent

What I liked:

What a plesant surprise! After reading a not so nice review, the stay was wonderful. The spacious room complimented by a large bath/shower room was extremely enjoyable. The exceedingly helpful staff was a joy. The restaruant facilities and food/drinks were 4+ star(out of 5). The location for a first time GB visitor very convenient to public transport as well as within walking distance of a lot of "stuff"

What the hotel could do better:

Nothing!!!!!!!!!!!!!

mads

Stayed July 2008

Rating: Fair

What I liked:

the rooms were very large and comfortable, and stylishly decorated and furnished. Great location for west end.

What the hotel could do better:

view from room unacceptably - into a fire escape with virtually no daylight

Tried to Valet park the car - the concierge wouldnt drive the car so was reluctant to move it therefore was forced to leave it outside the hotel until 8am, then arrange for it to be parked then. Paid £55 for 3 hours parking which even for central london is rather expensive. then to boot had to wait for just under an hour for the concierge to bring the car to the hotel. Totally unaceptable for an upmarket central london hotel.